The Hong Kong Mile was first run in 1991 as the Hong Kong International Bowl and achieved Group 1 status in 2000. It is a prestigious 1600-meter turf race held annually at Sha Tin Racecourse as part of the Hong Kong International Races (HKIR).
Key Historical Milestones
- Inauguration (1991): The race was established as the “Hong Kong International Bowl” and was run over a distance of 1400 meters to mark the staging of the Asian Racing Conference in Hong Kong. The first winner was Additional Risk from Ireland.
- Gradual Elevation: The race’s prestige grew over the 1990s, reaching Group 3 status in 1994 and Group 2 in 1995.
- Renamed and Extended (1999): The distance was increased to its current 1600 meters (about 1 mile), and the race was renamed the “Hong Kong Mile”.
- Group 1 Status (2000): The race was officially promoted to Group 1 status, solidifying its place as a major international event. The winner of the inaugural Group 1 race was the brilliant Australasian mare Sunline.
Here are the winners from the modern international G1 era (1999 onward):
|
Year
|
Winner
|
Jockey / Trainer Notes
|
|---|---|---|
|
2025
|
Voyage Bubble
|
Zac Purton / Ricky Yiu Poon-fai (Hong Kong); Second consecutive win
|
|
2024
|
Voyage Bubble
|
James McDonald / Ricky Yiu Poon-fai (Hong Kong); First of two wins
|
|
2023
|
Golden Sixty
|
Vincent Ho / Francis Lui Kin-wai (Hong Kong); Third win
|
|
2022
|
California Spangle
|
Zac Purton / Tony Cruz (Hong Kong)
|
|
2021
|
Golden Sixty
|
Vincent Ho / Francis Lui Kin-wai (Hong Kong); Second win
|
|
2020
|
Golden Sixty
|
Vincent Ho / Francis Lui Kin-wai (Hong Kong); First of three wins
|
|
2019
|
Admire Mars (JPN)
|
Christophe Soumillon / Yasuo Tomomichi (Japan)
|
|
2018
|
Beauty Generation
|
Zac Purton / John Moore (Hong Kong); Second win
|
|
2017
|
Beauty Generation
|
Derek Leung / John Moore (Hong Kong)
|
|
2016
|
Beauty Only
|
Zac Purton / Tony Cruz (Hong Kong)
|
|
2015
|
Maurice (JPN)
|
Ryan Moore / Noriyuki Hori (Japan)
|
|
2014
|
Able Friend
|
João Moreira / John Moore (Hong Kong)
|
|
2013
|
Glorious Days
|
Douglas Whyte / John Size (Hong Kong)
|
|
2012
|
Ambitious Dragon
|
Zac Purton / Anthony T. Millard (Hong Kong)
|
|
2011
|
Able One
|
Jeff Lloyd / John Moore (Hong Kong)
|
|
2010
|
Beauty Flash
|
Gérald Mossé / Tony Cruz (Hong Kong)
|
|
2009
|
Good Ba Ba
|
Olivier Doleuze / Derek Cruz (Hong Kong); Third consecutive win
|
|
2008
|
Good Ba Ba
|
Christophe Soumillon / Andreas Schütz (Hong Kong); Second win
|
|
2007
|
Good Ba Ba
|
Olivier Doleuze / Andreas Schütz (Hong Kong); First of three wins
|
|
2006
|
The Duke
|
Olivier Doleuze / Caspar Fownes (Hong Kong)
|
|
2005
|
Hat Trick (JPN)
|
Olivier Peslier / Katsuhiko Sumii (Japan)
|
|
2004
|
Firebreak (GB)
|
Frankie Dettori / Saeed bin Suroor (UAE)
|
|
2003
|
Lucky Owners
|
Felix Coetzee / Tony Cruz (Hong Kong)
|
|
2002
|
Olympic Express
|
Weichong Marwing / Ivan Allan (Hong Kong)
|
|
2001
|
Eishin Preston (JPN)
|
Yuichi Fukunaga / Shuji Kitahashi (Japan)
|
|
2000
|
Sunline (NZ)
|
Greg Childs / Trevor McKee (New Zealand); Iconic battle with Fairy King Prawn
|
|
1999
|
Docksider (GB)
|
Olivier Peslier / John Hills (Great Britain); First as international G1
|
Record holders:
- Most wins (3): Good Ba Ba (2007–2009) and Golden Sixty (2020, 2021, 2023)
- Voyage Bubble joins the multiple winners with back-to-back victories (2024–2025).
- The race has been dominated by Hong Kong-trained horses in recent decades, with Japan providing strong international challenges.
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